How Far We've Come
by hOtlilmofo
Summary: Jamie and Stu have a long history.  Though their marriage is falling apart, the two are still very much in love with each other.  Can they work through their issues?  Or has too much happened to allow them to move on together?
1. Prologue

**How Far We've Come**

**Prologue**

**Disclaimer: I only own Jamie and Camille.**

* * *

A knock on the front door distracted Stu from his nap on the couch. He never thought that he would feel this way. He was always so tired now. It was because he was depressed with everything that had been going on for the past couple of months. He was well aware of that fact. The emptiness, the seemingly endless hole that had formed in his chest cavity was killing him, slowly, painfully. He used to look forward to having some time off from work. It was such a rarity and so treasured, but now it was the absolute last thing that he wanted to have to deal with anymore.

He missed the days when Jamie would meet him at the airport, when he was coming home after being away for days at atime. Stu would catch her, as she ran into his arms at the luggage carousel. He'd spin her around and kiss her, as if it was the only thing in the world that truly mattered to either of them. And quite frankly, it was all that mattered. It was his favorite thing in the world to be able to hold her in his arms after they had spent so much time apart. He always felt so fulfilled when he saw her, whether it was in the audience during one of his matches, at the airport to pick him up, or even at the dinner table, when they had been lucky enough to spend some time together at home. Stu was complete when the two of them were together. She was his other half, and he knew that he needed her as his wife more than anything in the entire world. Being with Jamie was all that he ever needed, and now it just ate away at him to not have her.

Stu slowly pulled himself off of the black micro fiber couch that she had insisted on buying. At first, he didn't really like it too much, but it grew on him. It ended up looking great in the living room, and it was sure as hell the most comfortable couch that he had ever sat on, much less slept on. He ambled over to the front door and opened it, without bothering to check through the window to see who was there. He didn't really care. If it wasn't Jamie, he didn't want any visitors, and he was sure that it wasn't his estranged wife. She had been avoiding him since their last argument.

The man standing there in khaki pants and a black polo shirt was an unfamiliar face. He raised an eyebrow, hoping that it wasn't some fan who managed to figure out where he was living.

"Yes?" he greeted.

"Are you Stuart Bennett?" the man asked, glancing down at the manila envelope in his hands. He furrowed his brow. "Yes, I am…"

"Sir, you are being served," he said, handing him the envelope. Stu took it, not exactly sure what was going on. As far as he knew, he didn't have any legal problems that had to be sorted out. He didn't owe anyone money.

"Okay…"

"Have a good day."

The man turned around and walked back to his black Honda Civic that was parked in front of the WWE superstar's two-story Tampa house. Stu slowly closed the front door, unsure of what was going on. He walked back over to the couch and sitting down, as he opened the mysterious envelope. He pulled out a stack of papers, anxious to know what exactly was going on.

The black, block letters explained the entire situation to him. DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE. The words stung him deeply. He felt as if he had been punched in the gut. He had prayed that this wouldn't happen. She had filed for divorce. His head was spinning, and he felt like he was about to be sick to his stomach.

Stu put the papers on the coffee table and bringing his face in his hands, as he rubbed them over it. Blinding pain coursed through each and every part of his body. He felt his entire world crumbling beneath him. This wasn't supposed to happen. Stu loved Jamie. She was absolutely everything to him. They'd had their fair share of hard times. They had been apart before, and he hated not being with her all of the time. When he spoke his vows to her, he meant every single word of them, and he wanted nothing more than to make good on the endless promises he had made to her on that day. He certainly couldn't do that if they were divorced.

Stu stood up and walked out of the room, finding it impossible to be in the room where those papers were, as they silently taunted him with the thoughts of what they meant for him. He went upstairs and made his way into the bedroom that they had shared, slamming the door behind himself so hard that everything shook and a picture fell face down on the night table next to the king-sized bed. He sat on his wife's side, the black comforter wrinkling underneath him. It had been twenty-three whole days since she had left their house. He hadn't been home very much, so he hadn't suffered as much from the effects of her being gone as he was suffering now. And he was really suffering.

A glimmer of silver caught his eye. Stu glanced over in the direction of the shiny object, as his eyes rested on the picture frame that had fallen on the night table next to him. He picked it up and held it in his hands, staring at the picture that resided in it. It was from their wedding day. It was one of the best days of his entire life, if not the best day. The only day that could possibly rival it was the one where the two had been reunited after they had spent so many years apart.

In the photo, Jamie had a genuine smile on her perfectly made up face. Stu's lips were affectionately on her cheek, and he had a smile on his face, as he kissed her. It was a close-up of their faces. Everyone loved this picture. It conveyed the deep love that the two had for each other. None of it seemed staged or posed. The photo had caught the genuine happiness that the two of them had, as a result of their nuptials from earlier that day. He slowly ran the pad of his thumb across her face. He missed her so much that it actually hurt. Hell, hurt didn't even explain it. This was absolutely killing him.

Jamie had been such a breath of fresh air in his world. She made everything okay. But now she was gone. And it killed him to have to be without her. Stu wanted to fix their relationship. He wanted his wife back. He needed her. Stu didn't know what he was going to do…or even what he could do, at this point.

* * *

Jamie was sitting on the couch at her friend Camille's house. She had been staying with her since she left Stu. Today was the day that she knew he was receiving the divorce papers. She had filed for it last week. She didn't want spousal support or half of everything. Quite frankly, she didn't want anything from him. She just wanted to be done with all of this. Jamie couldn't handle the fact that he was gone all of the time. They had spent years apart, missing each other, wondering what the other was doing. It had been too much for her to deal with then. But she couldn't handle the fact that now that they were together, they always had to say goodbye and miss each other. It was too hard to never be able to be physically near him. They had done that during the years between their relationships. She couldn't do it again, though. Not anymore.

It hurt her to have to file for divorce from the love of her life. Jamie wanted to have a family, to be the mother of his children and have him be the father to their children. But it seemed that it wasn't in the cards for them, seeing as he was always gone. She felt alone nearly all of the time. Jamie didn't feel like Mrs. Stuart Bennett anymore. She felt single. She was lonely and always hurting. And that wasn't fair to her.

Jamie was still unsure of how she felt about this whole divorce situation. It hurt her because she truly loved Stu. He was always the only one for her. He was her soul mater, the true love of her life. Even now, though they were on the road to divorce, she did not doubt that they belonged together. She knew that if she was supposed to spend her life with anyone, it would be him. They loved each other, but sometimes love wasn't enough to make everything okay. That was what the problem happened to be in this case. She hated always having to be alone. Coming home after a long, tiring day of work, all Jamie wanted to do was put on some sweats and snuggle up with her husband. But that rarely ever happened. In fact, she was lucky if she had managed to see him once or twice a week. She had finally reached her breaking point.

Things had changed drastically, since they had gotten back together. When he was in Florida Championship Wrestling, sure, he wasn't bringing home the huge paycheck that he was receiving as one of the top guys on the WWE's Raw roster. But they were together. That was what mattered most.

All she wanted was her husband. Not the fancy house. Not the luxury care. Not the multitude of designer clothes in her closet. Not the gifts from all over the world. She didn't need any of that stuff. It didn't make her happy. It didn't make her life worth living. In fact, being able to have those things was what was making her life a living hell. All that she wanted…all that she needed…was Stu. But he was the one thing that she couldn't have all to herself. He was always traveling with the rest of the WWE. And he was living out his dream.

Jamie swore that she would never take that away from him. Not in a million years. He loved his job so much, and he worked so hard to get to where he was. He lived and breathed wrestling. It was who he was.

And that was the Stu that she had fallen in love with. It was something she would never mess with. Jamie would never be one of those wives who would make her husband choose between their marriage and his career. So, she made the decision to leave. It was the hardest choice that she had ever had to make, and it hurt her. But she also truly believed that this was all for the best.


	2. Chapter 1

**How Far We've Come**

**Chapter 1**

**Disclaimer: I own Jamie and Camille (though we've only been told who she is and haven't really met her just yet, though it will happen)…one of these days I plan on owning Stu/Wade…but until then, I'll accept what I've been given.**

* * *

**A/N: So, I've gotten a great response for the prologue, so I'm obviously keeping up with this story. Yay! :o) I took out the author's note for the last chapter because it somehow ended up in the middle of the chapter and the formatting was all wrong, even though I double checked it. Just my luck lol Anyways, I know I'm in the middle of a bunch of other stories, but I guess I just like giving myself options when it comes to what I'm updating. I get bored easily, so this keeps me interested in all of my stories, seeing as I can shift my focus. This story is going to be A LOT of flashbacks, so I hope you enjoy it! I appreciate the reviews I've received already and would loved to get some more, though I appreciate even just hits :o) You guys are the bestest, and I loooove you all! XoXoXoXo**

* * *

Stu felt like he was a zombie. He couldn't function. Each passing moment was simply him going through the motions of living, though if he had any choice in the matter, he probably would choose to not be living. With every breath he took, he was proving that he could live without Jamie, and that was not something he wanted to give any validity to. Inside he was absolutely dying. The past week was too much for him to handle. Ever since he had received the divorce papers yesterday, he had become a shell of his former self, even more so than before. He refused to speak to anyone. He refused to even move out of the bed that he and Jamie had shared. He just laid there trying to remember the happier days, when life wasn't screwing him over the way it was now. Then, his mind wandered to the day that they met each other.

**_*Flashback*_**

**_Nine Years Ago…_**

**_Stu was sitting in Biology class, at the University of Liverpool. He was in his third year and was simply taking this class as an elective. Human Genetics. He didn't think it would be very complicated when he had registered for it before the semester had begun. He didn't expect to enjoy it, though it had quickly become one of his favorite classes, as he found every piece of information to be interesting. It was also a nice change from the endless Marine Biology classes that he had immersed himself in for the past three years. He was taking every single class he could that related to his field of study._**

**_More interesting to Stu than the material, was the girl sitting next to him. The poor girl seemed to be trying so hard to simply pass the class, but clearly science was not her specialty…or even her weakness…it was worse than that. Well, it at least seemed that way to him. He'd been hearing the groans and sighs from her for the past month since classes had begun. Though he never spoke to her, he felt badly that she was struggling so much to just pass, whereas Stu was positive that he was on the path to acing the class with putting in the absolute bare minimal effort._**

**_"Okay, so I hope everyone is prepared for Tuesday's exam. Enjoy the weekend," Professor Lundley signed off._**

**_The stranger groaned, as she gathered up all of her notes and tried to organize them into her binder, before she left the lecture hall. Stu couldn't help but noticed the pained expression on her face and felt slightly guilty, though he knew her poor performance was certainly not his fault. He couldn't help but feel for her and want to help her._**

**_"Excuse me?" he spoke. She looked up from her papers. Stu immediately realized that he had never taken a good look at her before. She was absolutely stunning. Her hazel eyes had darted over to him._**

**_"Yes?"_**

**_"I don't mean to be nosy, and I promise I'm not trying to sound condescending or anything, but you seem to be having some trouble with the material we've been covering," he explained._**

**_A smile formed on her lips. "That's putting it very gently. I'm terrible when it comes to science," she admitted. "I can study for hours upon hours and think that I've got it down, only to find out, come exam time, that I'm still as clueless to everything as I was before I stepped foot in the classroom," she replied._**

**_"Well, I know that we haven't spoken before, and we don't know each other, but if you would like, I can try to help you," he offered._**

**_"Oh wow. That's so sweet of you to offer, but I wouldn't want to burden you with my inability to understand…well, anything, really."_**

**_"It wouldn't be a burden at all, I promise," he insisted. "I just feel so badly watching you struggle with the material, when I get it so easily."_**

**_"Are you really sure about this?"_**

**_"Positive."_**

**_"Alright," she agreed. "Thank you…so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate this."_**

**_"It's my pleasure. I'm Stu, by the way," he introduced himself, offering his hand out to her. She shook it._**

**_"I'm Jamie."_**

**_"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to be quite a long way from home, aren't you?" he pointed out._**

**_She nodded. "Yup. I'm from America…New York," she replied._**

**_"Wow. And you decided to come here?"_**

**_"I thought studying abroad would be a great idea. Clearly that's working out really well for me," she replied with a laugh._**

**_"I certainly hope you're not a science major."_**

**_"Oh God, no. Never. I'm an English major…literature, actually, but it's a general education requirement to have to take a science class. And the genius I am thought that taking an interesting class over an easy class was a wonderful idea, which it was…on paper…not so much in practice," she told him._**

**_"Well, don't worry. I'm sure you'll do fine. I'll help you."_**

**_"I really appreciate it. I suck at anything involving science."_**

**_"I'm sure you're not that awful."_**

**_"I don't even read science fiction."_**

**_Stu laughed. "Okay, well, I'm sure I can at least help you a little bit."_**

**_"I hope so."_**

**_"When are you free?" he asked her._**

**_"Whenever I'm not in class. I go Monday through Thursday, from eight in the morning until three-thirty in the afternoon," she replied._**

**_"Okay. Well, I'm free on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings," he informed her. "Do you live on campus?"_**

**_"No. I have my own apartment in Liverpool."_**

**_"Oh…okay."_**

**_"You can come by…or I can come to you…or wherever you'd like to meet up. I'm easy like that."_**

**_"Well, I can come by your place. Is tomorrow night…say seven o'clock?"_**

**_"Absolutely. I'll give you my number, as well." Jamie pulled out a piece of loose-leaf from her binder and quickly wrote her number on it. She handed the paper over to him, which he accepted._**

**_"Thanks," he said. "I'll give you a call tomorrow, then."_**

**_"Sounds great. Thank you so much for doing this. You're really saving me," she graciously thanked him._**

**_Stu smiled. "I do what I can."_**

**_*End Flashback*_**

Stu would never forget that first day they met for as long as he lived. That was by far one of the greatest days of his entire life. Though he was completely unaware of it at that time, he had met his soul mate, his future wife, the only woman he would ever truly love. She was one of the most beautiful people he had ever seen in his entire life, and though he hadn't expected a lifelong love to result from their initial meeting, he somehow did know that his life would never be the same with this new American woman in it. He just never expected how right he would turn out to be.

* * *

Jamie was laying on the queen-sized bed in the guest room that she had been occupying in Camille's house that she shared with her husband. She wished that she was in her own bed, next to Stu. She loved her estranged husband. Though they were soon-to-be divorced, Jamie knew that she would only ever love him. This situation wasn't the cause of her meeting or wanting someone else. It was a matter of feeling like she didn't have a husband. She was hurting without being able to see her man.

The days when they were first together were simply magical. After they had spent years apart and were fatefully reunited, things couldn't have been better. The two were so deeply in love with each other. Every single day of her life, since that day they first spoke in their Human Genetics class, she loved him. Not even one moment passed, where she could even doubt her love for the Englishman that she had married.

She could never forget how they met each other. They met because Stu was looking out for her. He had graciously offered to help her out with their class. Jamie remembered that day he first spoke to her, as if it were only yesterday. She wished she could go back in time and relive it

There was so much about the past she would change, if she could. It was because of her that they had spent so many years away from each other, and she regretted that more than anything in her life. That fateful day they met was the day that she developed feelings for him. Jamie didn't know what it was, but there was just something about that man that just reeled her in and hooked her. He was her knight in shining armor. He was somewhat of a new start for her, as her initial new start was supposed to be coming to England for school. She had not expected to be so lonely and stressed out, upon leaving her home country, but she was. And when Stu had started helping her out with her work, he had changed all of that. He was the one thing that made her want to stay in that country, away from everything and everyone she had known for her entire life.

Jamie had moved from New York to England to attend the University of Liverpool because it seemed like the kind of change she needed. And she loved being in the country. It was absolutely beautiful. The scenery was breathtaking and so full of history. She loved sightseeing and learning so much more than she had been taught in the New York public school system. It was such a wonderful experience.

On the other hand, Jamie didn't know anyone at all. She was having such a hard time, in the fact that she felt so alone there. That all changed when Stu walked into her life. She had found a friend and unknowingly at the time, her soul mate. The six-foot-seven Marine Biologist turned Professional Wrestler changed her life for the better. The road to their marriage was a very rocky one, but it was worth the ride. There were never two people who belonged together more than Jamie and Stu.

Having to let go of him was the hardest thing she knew that would ever have to do, and she wasn't quite sure if she could ever really do it, but it was for the best…for the both of them. She'd had to let go of him once before, and it was undoubtedly the biggest mistake of her life. And it was also quite possible that going through with this divorce would be an absolutely horrible mistake, but Jamie didn't know what else she was supposed to do. She absolutely hated spending most of her time away from him. Sure, having a career as a high school English teacher had occupied a lot of her time, but that certainly didn't make always having to come home to an empty house any easier for her to deal with. It didn't help her at any of those family gatherings, where she would have to go alone because her husband was always away. It didn't help her when she was having a stressful, terrible day, and she had to sleep in the king-sized bed all alone, when all she wanted was to be held and told everything would be okay by the one person she should have been able to expect to be there for her. The fact of the matter was that she didn't feel like she had a husband anymore. And she had finally reached her breaking point. Jamie was doing what she had to, even though it hurt like hell. She could only imagine how Stu was doing.

Jamie missed those days when she would see him everyday. When they were in school together, she remembered that she would get butterflies in her stomach on her way to class. She couldn't wait to see him. After all, who wouldn't look forward to seeing that face sitting next to her?

**_*Flashback*_**

**_Jamie sat in her class, impatiently awaiting Stu's expected arrival. She was always looking forward to seeing him. Ever since they had started their tutoring sessions, they had become really good friends. He was always trying his very best to make her feel like she wasn't completely alone in a foreign country. And he was succeeding at it._**

**_Stu walked into the room and smirked as his eyes spotted his newfound friend. He sauntered over to the empty seat next to her and sat down._**

**_"Hey you," he greeted._**

**_"Hi Stu," she reciprocated the greeting, trying to control the excitement that coursed through her body, upon seeing him._**

**_"How are you doing?"_**

**_"I'm okay. How about you?"_**

**_"I'm good. Are you nervous about the exam?"_**

**_"A little, but I feel a lot better about it after the drills you put me through last night," she told him._**

**_Stu gave her a smile. "Well, I'm glad I was able to be of assistance."_**

**_"I really appreciate it," she said. "Thank you so much."_**

**_"Of course."_**

**_"I'm so happy that the weekend is here…well, after this test the weekend will be here," she corrected herself._**

**_"Me, too. I can finally relax a bit. I'm hoping the weather stays nice out, so I can go fishing," he told her._**

**_"That sounds like fun."_**

**_"Have you ever been?" he asked._**

**_Jamie shook her head. "Nope. Never."_**

**_"You should come," Stu invited._**

**_Jamie laughed at the thought. "Really?"_**

**_"Absolutely."_**

**_"Okay, then. That sounds like it could be a lot of fun," she accepted his invitation, feeling her heart flutter at the thought of spending a day with him. "Great. And you can finally meet Melissa."_**

**_Jamie had to force the smile on her face at the mere mention of Stu's girlfriend for the past seven months. She was definitely not anxious to meet her. Besides the fact that she seemed to be a total bitch, Jamie had a huge crush on him. This Melissa chick was standing in her way of being with him._**

**_"That sounds great," she said._**

**_"Well, just wait. I'm sure Melissa is going to be quite a treat. She absolutely hates fishing," he told her._**

**_"So, why does she go?"_**

**_"So I don't have to go alone."_**

**_"Well, it's nice that she at least goes…"_**

**_"Yeah…"_**

**_"I think you're making it seem worse than it actually is."_**

**_"No, I'm downplaying how unpleasant she is out on the water. She is not a fan," he said with a laugh._**

**_"So, why are you with someone who makes you so unhappy when you're out trying to do something that you love?" she asked, without thinking. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I was out of line…"_**

**_"No. No. No. You weren't…it's true. Melissa and I have been having some problems lately, but I'm sure everything will work itself out…or not."_**

**_Jamie gave him a questioning look, as Professor Lundley entered the room. "I hope you are all prepared for the exam," she spoke, beginning the class._**

**_"Good luck," Stu said with a wink._**

**_"You, too…even though you don't need it," she said smirking at him._**

**_*End Flashback*_**

* * *

That fishing trip was what really changed things for the two of them. Stu had invited her because she had no other friends to spend her time with, and to be honest, he liked her a lot. Sure, he was dating Melissa at the time, but Jamie was nothing like her. Melissa spent the entire time whining and complaining and trying to make it a miserable day for everyone there, while Jamie tried to have fun with this new experience and though it was obvious that if she had to depend on her fishing skills for sustenance, she would surely die or starvation, he managed to enjoy her company anyway.

It was the first time that Stu found himself longing for her. The laughing and joking around made him at ease. He didn't have to feel bad for bringing her out to do something she hated, as was the case with Melissa. It was that night when he considered the possibility of having feelings for Jamie, as opposed to his girlfriend. Stu felt comfortable with Jamie. Nothing was forced. It was easy. He always believed that being with the person you loved was easy. And that's how he felt with her.

Stu remembered the fight he had gotten into with his girlfriend at the time. She was absolutely furious that he brought another girl with them. She was even more pissed off that he seemed to be having a great time with the stranger and completely blew his own girlfriend off. Melissa was a very needy girlfriend and having to surrender the spotlight to Jamie was something she was absolutely not willing to do. She'd been rude and bitchy to Jamie, and Stu was impressed that Jamie managed to not turn around and punch the heavily made up brunette at any point during their fishing trip. He was sure she wanted to. Hell, It took Stu all he had not to push his girlfriend out of the boat and make her swim her over-pampered, spoiled, mean ass to the dock.

When Stu had realized how defensive he had been of Jamie, he knew that his feelings for her ran much deeper than those of someone trying to be a friend. He wanted to be with her. She was fun and enjoyed the simple things in life. Melissa wanted the dinners and gifts, whereas Jamie could make the most out of any situation. She loved being lazy and staying in. He liked that about her. It didn't take much to impress Jamie, though it took miracles to even catch Melissa's attention.

Stu remembered that day, though the memory was bittersweet, seeing as he was completely heartbroken. He missed the old days. He missed their friendship. Even more than that, he missed his wife. Jamie was his wife, his best friend, his world. And he was broken man without her.


	3. Chapter 2

**How Far We've Come**

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I own Jamie, and sometimes I like to think that I own Camille, but she, in fact, owns herself. :o)**

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**A/N: Hey loves! So, I'm home sick from work because I have been the lucky recipient of the stomach virus, courtesy of my manager. That means instead of sleeping, I'm writhing in pain, hating my life. And I thought what better way to use my time than to update, seeing as I love my readers more than I love my own boyfriend. Yay! So, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy! And please, if you'd like to share your opinion with me about it, be my guest! :o) Love you guys! XoXoXoXoXo**

* * *

"Hunnie, you have got to stop moping around. Laying in bed all day isn't gonna help you feel better. You can watch a movie or…I dunno…work out. But seeing you lay here like this is just making me depressed, and I'm supposed to be planning a wedding here. I can't do that if I'm upset," Camille spoke, as she walked into the guestroom that Jamie had been occupying for nearly a month. She sat on the edge of the bed. It absolutely killed her to see the misery etched all over her friend's face.

"I'm so miserable," Jamie admitted.

"So, don't get divorced."

"But I'm sick of being alone."

"You're obviously still confused, and when you're confused, you shouldn't be making hasty decisions, especially when it comes to getting a divorce. Maybe…maybe filing those papers wasn't exactly the best thing to do so quickly. Trust me, I know it's hard. Paul and I still struggle with it sometimes, but we'd rather be getting married to each other than break up over it," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's harder when you're married. When you're married, you're supposed to be spending your life with that person, and when he's always gone…it doesn't feel like that at all," Jamie explained.

"But you can spend more of your life together when he's home than you can if you're divorced from him. I still cry when Paul leaves, and I know he's only gonna be gone for a few days. I hate being alone in this big house without him, but I'd rather suffer through being alone for a couple of weeks than suffer knowing that he'll never be coming home again because we're not together anymore," Camille explained, trying to make Jamie see the light. "And you know I'm right about this. You and Stu belong with each other. You've been so depressed since you've been here, and it's because you love him."

"I do love him. I always have and always will."

"I know that. That's why I'm saying that maybe you jumped the gun with this whole divorce thing. Maybe you should talk to him, and the two of you can sort this whole mess out. I can't stand seeing you like this. You're my best friend, and it just kills me that you're like this. And you know I love Stu more than anything or anyone on earth. You know…Paul said no one's heard from him in three days."

"Do you think he's okay?"

"To be honest? No. I think he's completely miserable, just like you've been. He's probably heartbroken and depressed without his wife. The man is just…he's so in love with you, Jame."

Jamie frowned. "I'm in love with him, too. It's just so hard to deal with him always being away, and I don't know if I can do it anymore."

"Like I said, I know it's hard, but Jamie, would you rather look forward to the times that Stu comes home? Or have nothing to look forward to at all? And if you were so sure that getting divorced was the right step, I don't think you'd still be wearing your wedding rings," Camille said, motioning to her friend's hand, which was still adorned with the Harry Winston diamond engagement ring and matching diamond studded wedding band on the ring finger of her left hand.

Jamie frowned as her eyes darted to the rings. She didn't need the rings. Sure, they were breathtakingly beautiful, and she was impressed when he had managed to save up that insane amount of money to get those rings, but she preferred the company of her husband to diamonds. Hell, she preferred Stu's companionship to anything and everything. She missed those days when she was living in Europe, when things changed between Stu and herself, and they had gone from friends to more. That was the best time in her life. She had found her soul mate, and now she was just confused.

* * *

**_*Flashback*_**

**_Jamie was sitting on the couch in her apartment. She'd had such a great day with Stu. His girlfriend was a complete bitch, and she didn't understand why he would be with someone who acted like that, but wasn't that how it always went? The amazing guy was always with the beautiful bitch. She was sure with a chick who looked the way Melissa did, there was no way in hell Jamie had a fraction of a chance. She could deal with that, though. They were becoming fast friends, and she really liked hanging out with him, regardless of any feelings that may have come to the surface._**

**_She was mindlessly flicking through the television channels, finally she stopped on Sky1, seeing as WWE Jakked was on, recapping the week's WWE matches. Jamie love wrestling, and she'd been watching it since she was a kid._**

**_A knock on her door interrupted her focus on the show. She furrowed her brow, unsure of who would be showing up, seeing as she had one friend, who was probably being bitched out by his girlfriend at the current moment._**

**_Jamie got up and walked over to the door, opening it. She was completely shocked to see Stu standing there. He was drenched, as it had started raining about an hour after they'd gone home from their fishing trip._**

**_"Oh my God. Stu! You're soaked. Come in," she said, walking to the bathroom and grabbing a large white towel and bringing it over to him._**

**_"Thanks," he spoke, taking the towel, while she closed the door. She turned to find him drying his hair and arms._**

**_"I have a lot of baggy sweats. Do you want to change? I can put your clothes in the dryer? It's only two doors down," she offered._**

**_"Thanks, but that's not necessary. I came here because I needed to talk to you," he said, as his eyes glanced over at the television, a match between Jeff Hardy and Triple H was on the screen from the past Thursday night's episode of Smackdown!. "What are you watching?" he asked._**

**_"Oh…sorry. It's just wrestling…"_**

**_"You like wrestling?"_**

**_"Yeah. I know a lot of people tease me about it, but I love it. I have since I was like…I dunno…born, I guess."_**

**_A smile crossed his lips. "That's so funny. I'm a huge fan."_**

**_"Really? No wonder we get along so well. "Yeah…we have so much in common…except for the whole science thing," he joked with a smirk._**

**_"It happens," she replied with a shrug. "So, you said you wanted to talk? Is everything okay?"_**

**_"Um…yeah. I wanted to tell you that I had a lot of fun today. Usually Melissa tends to put a bit of a damper on the fishing trips because she hates them so much, but you really…you made it fun again."_**

**_A slight blush crept onto her cheeks. "Oh…yeah. I had a lot of fun with you, too. Obviously Melissa isn't a fan of fishing…or of me either, for that matter, but I still really enjoyed it."_**

**_"I'm sorry about her. She's such a miserable wench when she wants to be…and she's very jealous."_**

**_Jamie shrugged. "It's not a big deal."_**

**_"Well, actually it is because I don't want to stop hanging out with you."_**

**_"Yeah, but she's your girlfriend. I understand if we can't hang out because she's uncomfortable with it."_**

**_"That's where you're wrong."_**

**_"What am I wrong about?"_**

**_"Melissa isn't my girlfriend anymore."_**

**_"What? You two were dating a couple of hours ago…"_**

**_"And when we got back, she kept on fighting with me about you. And she was all upset over what she referred to as us flirting with each other. I told her that we're friends, and we weren't flirting. Mel said that I had to pick between continuing to be with her or being friends with you. I was not happy with that, as I'm sure you could imagine. I told her I'd rather have choice C, which would put me being with you instead of her," he explained, his eyes trying to find some reaction in hers._**

**_Jamie looked confused. "Wait. What?"_**

**_"I know that we've been pretty good friends lately, and I do enjoy our friendship very much, but I realized today that I have feelings for you that are…shall we say, a lot more than friendly. You made going fishing fun for me. I can't remember the last time I was able to have a great time without it being marred by Melissa's wretched attitude. And I want to be able to do the things I love with someone who won't make me feel bad about dragging her along…someone who I can be myself with and who I can be happy with. And someone who I want to make happy."_**

**_"I'm still not understanding what's going on…did you break up with Melissa for me?" she asked, obviously still trying to comprehend what was going on._**

**_He nodded. "Precisely."_**

**_"But…she's beautiful…"_**

**_"And she's a bitch, to be completely honest. She makes me miserable, and you make me happy. It was a no brainer, Jamie."_**

**_"You seriously want to be with me?"_**

**_He nodded, taking a step closer to her and placing his hand on the back of her neck. "I do. That is, if you want to be with me, too."_**

**_"Stu, I've had a crush on you for quite some time," she admitted, blushing slightly at her admission._**

**_"And I realized today that I've had feelings for you for quite some time already. There's just something about you that makes me happy…all of the time. And I just love being around you."_**

**_"This doesn't feel real," she commented, her voice barely above a whisper, as her eyes were focused on Stu. He laughed. "I know. I really didn't think I would admit any of this," he told her. "But…when I left Melissa's, I had to come here and talk to you. You don't understand how much I really do care about you. I'm always thinking about you."_**

**_Jamie smiled. "You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that," she told him._**

**_"Does that mean you want to be with me, too?" he asked._**

**_She nodded. "Yes, it does."_**

**_A smile formed on his lips, before he pulled Jamie in for a kiss, which they both knew solidified their newly revealed feelings. She wrapped her arms around his torso, as Stu brought both of his hands onto her face._**

**_Moments later, when the two parted, Stu immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, Jamie. I couldn't help myself…and I definitely shouldn't have done that with my clothes being all wet," he said._**

**_"You think I care about getting wet? Seriously, nothing could matter less to me," she replied, looking up at him, her eyes locked on him. He leaned in again, catching her lips with his own._**

**_*End Flashback*_**

* * *

Stu hadn't gotten out of the house. He hadn't left their bedroom. He hadn't eaten. He hadn't slept. Nothing. He was just broken inside. He was a shell of who he used to be. Without his wife, there was no Stu, and he was sure of that.

Nine years ago, everything had begun. He and Jamie had met, formed a friendship and started a relationship. He knew then that she was special, and that she was going to have a very significant impact on his life. Hell, even when they had gone years apart and hadn't so much as spoken, he still only ever thought about her. He wished more than anything he could go back in time and change everything.

When Stu had broken up with Melissa, he knew that he had made the right decision. There was just something about the American woman that had him completely hooked. Every time she smiled, he felt a jolt in his chest. Every time she kissed him, he felt like the world could stop forever, as long as they remained like that. He loved everything about her and never thought for a second that they didn't belong together.

He remembered how they had been when they had first started dating. They were getting to know each other, and they were enjoying each other's company. She'd only been living in England for a couple of months, but now that they were together, he hoped she would never leave. They hadn't been together long, but he knew that there was a good chance that she was his soul mate and wanted to spend his life with her.

He'd never experienced something so simple. Being with Jamie was easy. He was comfortable with her. Things came naturally to the two of them. It was as if she was his best friend, like a relationship is actually supposed to be. He never for a second questioned if they were supposed to be with each other.

* * *

_***Flashback***_

_**Jamie and Stu were in her apartment. They were laying in bed. He had stayed the night, as he had for the majority of nights, since they had started dating six months ago. Things were absolutely perfect. He couldn't imagine ever being with anyone else again. Stu was completely hooked on his girlfriend. He cherished and enjoyed every second they spent together.**_

_**"Baby, you know we should really get out of bed. We've been here for the past three days that we've been off," she spoke, not making the slightest effort to move, as her head was on his chest and her arm was draped over his torso.**_

_**"Yeah, but do you really want to move? I'm so comfortable," he spoke, his arm wrapped around her affectionately.**_

_**"Not exactly."**_

_**"Then, why bother?"**_

_**She thought for a moment. "That's a good point you bring up."**_

_**Stu smiled. "You know, if you actually wanted to do something, we could," he told her. "I don't want you to think I'm not willing to get up."**_

_**"I know that. But to be honest, with all the stress of classes, I'm really not having a problem with us spending the rest of the week here," she admitted.**_

_**"Me either, sweetheart."**_

_**"Can I tell you something? And I really don't want you to get freaked out by it or anything."**_

_**"Of course," he replied, looking down at her laying on him.**_

_**Jamie sat up, the sheet wrapped around her front, leaving her bare back exposed. Stu sat up next to her, allowing the sheet to fall to his waist, his toned, bare torso revealed. He rested his hand on her lower back. "Um…"**_

_**"Is everything okay?" he asked, slightly worried, seeing as she was nervous and her eyes were focused on her knees, which were to her chest.**_

_**"Yeah…it's just…I dunno. It's scary to tell you this."**_

_**"Would you rather that I tell you something scary first, and then, maybe you won't be so scared?" he offered, having hid his 'something scary' for the past six months. He figured now was as good a time as any to tell her.**_

_**"Maybe…"**_

_**Stu took a deep breath. "Okay, but you have to look at me when I tell you this, okay?" he bargained. She nodded and looked up at him, unsure if she should be afraid of what he had to tell her. "You look even more scared."**_

_**"I don't know what you're gonna say…"**_

_**"Relax. I don't think you'd consider it anything bad. Well, at least, I would hope you wouldn't."**_

_**"Okay."**_

_**Stu took another deep breath. "Well, my dear, I love you. In fact, I've been in love with you from the first second that we kissed," he admitted, his eyes locked on hers.**_

_**Her eyes widened. "Are you serious?" she asked.**_

_**He nodded. "I've never been more serious about anything in my entire life."**_

_**"You love me?"**_

_**"I do."**_

_**"I guess that makes my 'something scary' a lot easier because I was gonna tell you that I love you."**_

_**"Really?"**_

_**She nodded. "I love you so much, Stu."**_

_**"I love you, sweetheart, and I'm so lucky that I get to tell all the jealous blokes that you're my girlfriend."**_

_**Jamie rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't think my life could be anymore perfect than it is right now," she whispered.**_

_**"Mine either. I've got my love next to me, and to be honest, you're all I ever need," he told her, pressing a kiss to her head. He laid back down on the bed, bringing Jamie with him. She cuddled up against him. "You make my life perfect."**_

_**"And you make mine perfect," she reciprocated.**_

_***End Flashback***_

* * *

Jamie was missing the days where her relationship with Stu was new and hadn't yet started to endure the years they would spend apart. That's when things were simple. Her feelings were strong…very strong, but she hadn't yet reached that point of not being able to live without him. Years apart would do that. She knew what it was to be without him, and that's when she knew that she couldn't handle that life. That's why they had gotten married so quickly after they had reunited. She didn't want to ever risk going years apart again. And now, Jamie was in the same boat she had been in before. She was miserable without her man, and seeing her best friend with her fiancée was only making it harder for her to deal with what was going on in her marriage.

Jamie had always envied Camille's relationship with Paul. Because of his fifteen year career in the WWE as Triple H, Paul Levesque obviously had a bit more luck when it came to time off, and seeing as he was already forty-one years old, he tended to take the hit's a bit harder than he had in the beginning of his career, allowing him more time off to recover from any mild injuries he had sustained in the ring. That meant Camille and Paul saw each other a lot more than Jamie saw Stu.

Even now, Paul was home, and she had to watch the loving couple. They weren't rubbing it in her face, but just knowing that they were able to be together, while she was missing the husband she had left was absolutely killing her. Jamie knew Stu was home. She'd known his schedule perfectly. She was sure he wasn't exactly enjoying his time off, as he normally would have. Stu loved Jamie, and she knew that. She was sure that he was devastated when he received those papers. She didn't want to inflict that kind of misery on him, but she also didn't know what else to do. Their situation wasn't an easy one. Jamie was a teacher. She couldn't just up and leave to visit Stu, whenever she felt like it. She had classes of students depending on her to get them through their high school English classes. She couldn't just leave whenever the desire to see her husband hit. And even though Stu made more than enough for her to not have to work, the last thing Jamie wanted to do was sit at home with nothing to do. She needed her job, if not because it was what she truly loved to do, because it kept her sane when Stu was gone.

Camille was a fellow English teacher in the high school Jamie taught at, but she was luckier in that her man was home a lot more often. She was happy that Camille didn't have to worry about missing Paul, the way Jamie had always suffered without Stu. Camille was grateful for it, too. She saw how much Jamie hurt when her husband was away. She felt awful about the whole situation, but the last thing she wanted was for Jamie to file for divorce without thinking it through.

Though her loyalty would always lie with Jamie, Camille really liked Stu. She thought he was a great guy and couldn't have wanted a better husband for her best friend. He was the kind of guy who would do anything for his wife. He was a fully devoted husband, however, the majority of the devotion now had to be done over the phone and on the lucky visits home he had managed to get. This wasn't the life Jamie had signed up for. Camille could absolutely understand that, but was it better for the two to split up? Would her friend really benefit from divorcing the love of her life? She wasn't too convinced that this path was the right one. In fact, this was one of those rare times that Camille didn't agree with one of Jamie's decisions. She just had to make her friend see what she saw.


	4. Chapter 3

**How Far We've Come**

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I own Jamie and Camille :o) I'm sure Cami won't mind.**

* * *

"Paul, I don't know what to do," Camille spoke, her voice ad, as she sat on the couch next to her fiancée.

He pulled her onto his lap. "I know, baby. But everything will be okay. Jamie and Stu will end up back together," he tried assuring her.

"She's being stubborn. You know how she is. I love her, but she's afraid of being alone, and with Stu always gone, she's even more afraid that he'll end up leaving her or something. Well, she hasn't said that, but that's what I think she's afraid of. I know her well enough to know what's going on in her head."

Paul laughed. "No way. Even when the guys make him come out, he sits on his own, blowing off any woman who even comes near him. He's the most devoted husband I've ever seen," he told her. She shot him a look. "You know I never go for those bar sluts," he said, giving her an honest glance.

"I know," she sighed. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Listen baby, if you want, I'll go over to their house and talk to Stu," he offered. "Maybe there's some way I can convince him to come over and see her. If the two are near each other, maybe they'll talk about things, and if we're really lucky, maybe they'll even fix their relationship," he said.

"You would really do that?"

"For you? Anything. And of course, I love Jamie and Stu, so I have no problem meddling, especially if it'll make my future wife happy."

"You're the best."

He smiled. "Well, I'm, only the best because you make me that way," he replied. "Because you're the best."

"You're so cute, Paul."

He gave her a quick kiss. "I love you, Cami."

"I love you, too."

Paul smiled. "Alright. I'm gonna go over to check on Stu," he said, as Camille got off of his lap.

"Alright. Try to get him to come over. I'm sure if we can get those two near each other, magic can happen."

He laughed. "You're gonna make one hell of a mother when we have kids, do you know that?"

"Why?" she asked, grinning.

"Because you're so over-involved in everything. I think it's very cute," he told her with a smile.

"Aw thanks."

Paul stood up. "If anything I'll text you and let you know what's going on, alright?" he told her.

She nodded. "Thank you."

"Of course." He placed an affectionate kiss on her lips. Camille rested her hands on his waist, as his arms were wrapped around her. "I'll be back soon."

"Okay, baby."

The two pulled apart from each other, and Paul grabbed his keys off of the table next to the front door. He gave Camille a wink, while he left their house. She hoped that her fiancée would be successful at getting Stu to come over. She was sure that if they saw each other again, it would be hard for them to resist being with each other anymore. Camille always knew that Jamie truly loved him and that seeing him would probably render her unable to hold back her true feelings.

Camille went up the stairs and down the hall to the room Jamie was staying in. She knocked on the wooden surface of the door. "Hey hun, can I come in?" she asked the woman in the room.

"Sure," she heard from the in the room.

She opened the door and walked inside, closing the door behind herself. Jamie was laying in the bed. She looked absolutely miserable. It hurt Camille to have to see her like that. She sat on the edge of the bed. "Hey babe."

"Hi."

"What are you doing?"

"Thinking."

"About what? Or should I say who?"

"I was thinking about how Stu and I can never seem to make a relationship with him work," she answered.

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is. Remember when I told you about how things got when we were in school together?"

"I remember, but you always knew that was a mistake."

"We just…we couldn't focus on our relationship."

* * *

**_*Flashback*_**

**_Jamie opened the door to her apartment, after she heard the knocking on it. Stu was standing there. He didn't look happy to see her, either. In fact, he looked kind of upset while he stood there._**

**_"Hey babe," she greeted with a small smile playing on her lips._**

**_"Hi." He immediately scooped Jamie up in his arms and held her against his body. "I've missed you so much."_**

**_"I've missed you, too," she replied, her arms finding their way around him, as she pressed her lips to his cheek._**

**_"I haven't seen you in over a week," he pointed out, as he let go of her and entered the apartment. She closed the door behind him._**

**_Jamie and Stu had been together for a whole year already. They'd barely gotten a chance to see each other, though, while things in school picked up. The two had become so immersed in their school work that they rarely ever saw each other anymore. It hurt the both of them to always have to miss each other._**

**_"I know, baby. I hate not seeing you."_**

**_"Me, too. Maybe when we have some time off from classes next week, we can go away for a couple of days or something? I just want to be with you."_**

**_"I know, baby. But I'm actually flying home. My parents wanted me to come see them. Remember? I invited you, but you said that you were probably gonna have to play catch up with your school work."_**

**_He nodded. "Right." It was clear that he was upset. "Well…I just…" He sighed and sat on the couch._**

**_Jamie sat next to him. "Baby." She rested the palm of her hand against his back. "You're so sad."_**

**_"I am. I love you, and we don't have time to see each other ever."_**

**_She nodded. "I know."_**

**_"I'll do anything, I just can't handle not seeing you anymore."_**

**_"I know, baby. I miss you so much. We'll figure something out, though. We can make this work," she told him._**

**_"You sound so sure of yourself."_**

**_"I am sure of myself. If we love each other, there's no reason that we can't make this relationship work. I know we both have a lot on our plates, but there's got to be some way we can find some time."_**

**_"How?"_**

**_Jamie thought for a moment. "What if you move in with me?" she asked. "That way even if we don't have time to make plans and stuff, we can always come home to see each other."_**

**_A smile played on Stu's lips. "Really?"_**

**_"Yeah. I mean, at least we can sleep in the same bed every night. Even if we don't get to hang out, we can at least be together for a little while."_**

**_"Okay," he agreed._**

**_Jamie smiled and pushed Stu back against the couch cushions. She straddled him and pulled his face to hers, pressing their lips together. He rested his hands against the small of her back. Maybe things would get better._**

**_Things hadn't changed. As their workloads increased, the two barely got any sleep and spent most of their time taking care of the work they had to complete. Jamie was writing countless papers, reading at the very least two full-length books per week, while she tried to complete her courses with high grades, so she could make a career for herself after school. If she had a career, she and her boyfriend could make a real life together in the future, after they graduated._**

**_Stu was spending so much of his time in the Biology lab, taking care of research papers and lab reports that were required of him to pass his classes. Moving in together had only caused more frustration because now they really should have seen each other more often, but they didn't. It was straining their relationship even more so. It was causing both Jamie and Stu to just become more miserable. Their relationship was in deep turmoil, and neither one knew how to fix it._**

**_*End Flashback*_**

* * *

"Listen, sweetheart, the first time you two were together, you were both young. You had a huge workload. That's no reason to think that things won't work, if you stick with him. He's your husband now."

"And I never see him. I thought I had it bad when we were in college, but now it's just so much worse, Camille."

"I know you miss him. But that's not a reason to leave him. You know you want to be with him. And I want you two to be together. You love each other so much, and I think that if you two try to make it work together, it will work."

Jamie shook her head. "I can't handle it anymore. Apparently we were never able to have enough time to spend together. So how am I supposed to deal with that? I never see him, and it makes me miserable."

"You're more miserable now, though."

"Yeah, but now at least it'll get better."

Camille rolled her eyes. "Jamie, it's not gonna get better. Now you're just gonna miss him more than before because now you'll never see him."

She frowned. "I don't know."

* * *

Paul rang the doorbell, as he stood in front of the house that Jamie and Stu had shared together. Stu's car was in the driveway, so he knew his friend was home. A couple of moments later, the door opened. Stu looked terrible. He had bags under his eyes. He clearly lacked sleep. The poor guy was really suffering.

"Paul…hello," he greeted, obviously not expecting the visitor that was standing outside of his house.

"Hey Stu. What's up, man?" he said, trying to sound upbeat.

"Not much. Um…do you want to come in?"

"Sure."

Paul walked into the house, while Stu closed the door behind him. "What brings you over here?"

"I wanted to talk to you…"

"About?"

"About Jamie," he replied.

The sadness that passed across his eyes was noticed by Paul. "Oh…um…how is she?" he asked.

"She's terrible. Jamie's miserable without you," he honestly replied. "I mean, she's just…she's not Jamie at all."

"Then, why is she divorcing me?"

"She's scared."

"Of?"

"You leaving her."

"Seriously? Like I would leave her? I'm bloody in love with that woman, and I have been since the first time we kissed. Hell, even before that. I would never leave her. Not in a million years. What in the hell would give her such a ridiculous idea?" he asked, bothered that she would feel that way.

"I don't know, man. I think that she's just afraid that with you always gone, you're gonna end up leaving her. Well, I don't know that for a fact. That's what Camille told me," he explained.

"Why would Camille think that?"

"Because she knows Jamie better than anyone."

Stu nodded. "I would never leave her, Paul. It's killing me to not have her with me right now. I'm miserable. I love her more than life itself."

"I know. Maybe if you came over to the house, you two can maybe try to talk things out and fix your marriage," Paul suggested.

"If she doesn't want to see me, I can't force her."

"Stu, you know, she loves you so much. Seriously, if you just talk to her, if she has to see you, I don't think she'll be able to resist being with you again. The woman is absolutely crazy about you."

"I don't know if that'll work."

"It's not like it can hurt…"

"Well, that I'm not so sure about. Listen, the first time she broke up with me, I was heartbroken. Now, she's divorcing me, and I'm absolutely devastated. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her."

"I know. That's why you have to try and fix this."

"I can't force it, if it's not what she truly wants."

"But she does want to be with you. She's just in a rough place right now, but I know you can fix this."

"I don't know."

* * *

**_*Flashback*_**

**_Stu came back from the laboratory at nearly one in the morning. Jamie was sitting on the couch, waiting for his return. The two needed to talk. Their relationship was suffering big time, and she couldn't handle it anymore._**

**_"Hi," he greeted, upon realizing that she was there._**

**_"Hey," she softly spoke._**

**_Stu walked over to her and sat down. He pulled her against his body, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "How are you?"_**

**_She remained silent for a few moments. "We need to talk," she said, her voice making it clear that this was not a good talk._**

**_"What's wrong, darling?" he asked, feeling his pulse begin racing. Those weren't the words he wanted to hear._**

**_"Um…this is really hard for me to say," she began._**

**_"Jamie, you're really starting to worry me now."_**

**_She pulled back from him, her eyes focusing in on him. "You know that I love you, and I know that you love me, but…" She took a deep breath. "But this isn't working anymore. We never see each other. I wanted you to move in because I thought that it would help us, but it hasn't. Actually, it's made things worse because now I'm even more frustrated and upset because I don't see you. And we should see each other."_**

**_"It's just for now, Jamie. We can make this work. I know it's hard. It's hard for the both of us, but it's just because of how much work we've had lately. I'm telling you, after classes end, we'll be able to start working on us again. We can make everything right again," his frantic voice pleaded._**

**_Jamie frowned, her eyes filling up with tears. "Stu…you're an amazing man. And the past year that we we've been together has been incredible. It's been really hard, but when things were good with us, they were really amazing. And I do love you. I just can't do this anymore. It's making everything so much worse, and I can't handle it," she spoke, her voice cracking, as she ended their relationship._**

**_"Please don't do this," he begged her._**

**_"We can't keep doing this to each other. It's making the both of us miserable because we barely ever see each other. You know this is for the best. It sucks, but it has to be done," she said, softly_**

**_"No. We belong together. I love you. I want nothing more than to be with you. I'll spend less time in the laboratory. I'll come home earlier. I promise, I'll do anything. Just don't end this."_**

**_The tears began falling from her eyes. "Stu, it's done," she whispered, as she felt her heart break over this._**

**_"Please," he begged._**

**_Jamie wrapped her arms around Stu, resting her chin on his shoulder, a she faced him. "I know that this sucks a lot, but it's for the best…for both of us," she said, softly, as the tears fell faster._**

**_"No, it's isn't. You're the woman I want to be with. We work so well together," he pleaded with her, his eyes brimming with tears._**

**_"It's just bad timing. You love what you're studying, you know? And I want you to keep on with that. I know we have a hard time dealing with being apart, and it's causing me to not be able to concentrate on my work, and I have to. That was the whole point of me moving to this country. And now I can't eat. I can't sleep. I'm absolutely miserable, and I know you're going through the same thing, too. We can't keep doing this, baby. We just need to take some time apart."_**

**_"So, you think we can get back together in the future?" he asked, hopefully. Obviously, she wasn't budging on this break up now, but if he knew that he had a real chance of getting her back, he was going to take it._**

**_Jamie nodded. "Once we get settled in our lives again, if our paths cross, I know we could make it work. Just…right now it's bad timing."_**

**_"I don't want to lose you. I love you."_**

**_"I know, Stu. And I love you so much, but right now, this isn't healthy. I can't do it anymore."_**

**_"I can't believe this is happening."_**

**_"I'm sorry."_**

**_"I guess I'll pack my things," he said, solemnly, standing up, as Jamie's arms fell from his shoulders._**

**_*End Flashback*_**

* * *

"What do you think about coming over?" Paul asked.

Stu shook his head. "I don't want to cause more problems for Jamie. I love her. If she doesn't want to see me, then, I'm not going to make her," he said.

"Oh enough with this sensitive guy bullshit. Just come over, grab her in your arms, caveman-style, and tell her she has to be with you. Don't give her a choice about it," he instructed him.

"I could never do that."

"Yes, you can. You can beat the shit out of Cena in the ring like some crazy brute without a soul. That means you can grab your woman and have your way with her," Paul pointed out.

"That's different. That's on-screen. You know that's not how I am when I'm not in the ring."

"Well, then, start acting that way."

"I can't do that."

"Come on. Please, come over and talk to her. Jamie's so miserable without you. Just come see her. I can't handle seeing that miserable look on her face anymore. It's bringing me down, and I'm supposed to be happy. I'm planning a wedding here. Instead of being happy, Cami and I are upset because Jamie's all crying and sad and devastated. I can't deal with it. So, please, as a favor to me, talk to her," Paul pleaded.

Stu took a deep breath. "I don't know if that's such a good idea. Maybe I should call her before I actually see her."

"No. Don't do that. That's stupid."

"No, it's not."

"Yes. Come on. Just take a shower, get dressed and come back to my house. Talk to your wife. Save your marriage. It'll be nice to see the two of you back together again," he said with a small smile.

"I don't think I should do that."

"Stop arguing with me. I'll knock you out and drag you. I'll go caveman on your ass, pal. So, either do what I say…or I'll make you do it."

Stu sighed. "Fine. I'll take a quick shower."

"Thank you."

* * *

**A/N: Stu's going to talk to her. That's gotta be a good sign :o)**

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. The flashbacks get better in a few chapters. And the stuff with Jamie and Stu...well, we'll just have to see what happens :o)**

**Love you guys! Please vote in my poll :o) It's going to determine the next stories that get posted, and I love you guys so much that I figured I might as well let you all choose! Anyways, hope things are going good for everyone. I'm gonna try my best to stay on top of updating, but I unexpectedly got put in the position where I can go for a really big promotion at work, so I've got a lot on my plate at the moment, but I promise I'll be trying my bestest! Love you all! XoXoXoXoXo**


	5. Chapter 4

**How Far We've Come**

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I own Jamie and Camille. :o)**

* * *

Jamie frowned. She was looking at herself in the mirror. She barely recognized the face staring back at her. She had always been a much happier person. Well…okay. That wasn't entirely true. To be honest, when she was with Stu, she was a much happier person. That was the hardest part of the whole situation-knowing she was only truly happy when she was with her husband.

That was a big part of the problem. Jamie no longer knew who she was without him. He was her other half in so many ways. And she really loved him…more than she ever loved anyone or anything. Without him, she was completely broken. Jamie wasn't sure if she'd be able to find herself, if she didn't have him by her side. She had to try, though. She was so miserable with him gone that it felt like she was alone anyway. She hated the lonely Jamie. She missed being happy. This was the only way she really believed she could have a fighting chance.

She sighed and sat back down on the bed. Jamie couldn't believe this was where she was at this point in her life. She was so confused about her predicament. She hadn't yet decided if her haste in trying to divorce Stu was really the best idea. There was a tight knot in the pit of her stomach every time she thought about the prospects that lay before her. Regardless of what happened, she knew she would never be able to stop loving the man she had married.

She had already learned that the hard way.

* * *

**_*Flashback*_**

_**Jamie and Stu had been broken up for three long months already. It was by far the worst three months of her entire life. She had been so miserable without him around. That's why she had already made plans to move back home to America. She couldn't handle being near him in physical distance but not being with him. It was slowly destroying her with each passing day. That's why she knew that she had to go. It was just too much for her to try handling.**_

_**Being in another country meant she wouldn't have to be anywhere near him and wasting her time wishing that things would change and that they would be able reunite. She'd held onto her false hope for long enough. It was time to let go now. She was so in love with Stu. She knew for a fact that they belonged together. She had never felt even a small fraction of what she felt for Stu, for anyone else ever. And she was positive that she never would. This was the man she was meant to be with.**_

_**Jamie had to hide the pictures from her sight, as well as anything that reminded her of the love she had lost. She couldn't bear to even think about him, not if she wasn't with him. If she could go back in time, Jamie would have just stayed with Stu. Having a hard time seeing her boyfriend was nothing compared to what she was feeling now that they had spent all of this time apart. She couldn't handle not being with him, and it was just hurting her more and more with every day that went by.**_

_**That's why she had transferred out of the University of Liverpool. She had contacted New York University about going there, which she was in the process of doing. They had accepted her application, and she was New York bound again. It was best for her to go home and live her life, in a place where she wouldn't always be holding out hope that Stu would come knocking on her door, pulling her into his arms and making everything better. It didn't seem likely that it would happen, seeing as it hadn't happened yet. And she knew that if she was still in England, she would still be hoping that it happened.**_

_**The majority of her belongings were already packed and ready to go. Jamie's parents and brothers were flying out to England to help bring her stuff back home to New York. It was hard for her. She knew going back home meant she would never again see her soul mate, but she certainly couldn't stay with things the way they were**_

_**So, the final result was that she was leaving. Jamie had to let go of Stu, even though she didn't think she could ever truly do so.**_

_***End Flashback***_

* * *

Stu was sitting in the passenger's seat of Paul's car, on his way to his friend's house to see his estranged wife. He hoped that she would be happy to see him, though he wasn't exactly planning on putting any money on those high hopes. He just wanted another chance to try and make things right with her. He needed just one chance, and he knew he could make it work. One little chance would make his problems go away because he would be able to fix it. He had no doubts about that.

Stu swore that if he somehow managed to convince Jamie to stay with him, he would do anything to keep her. He would do whatever it took to make her happy again, even if that meant he had to quit his job with the WWE and get a regular job. He'd go back to working as a Marine Biologist or something. He would give up anything for her. She was his entire world, and if he didn't have her, then he truly believed he didn't have anything. His job, his house…nothing mattered if he didn't have her to share it with, and he didn't care what it took. He had to make it happen.

"Are you okay?" Paul asked, glancing over at Stu.

"Huh? What?" he asked, in reply, snapping out of his thoughts about his estranged spouse.

"I asked if you're okay," he repeated.

"Oh…um…yeah."

"Are you sure? You seem…not okay…"

Stu shrugged. "I'm afraid Jamie won't want to be with me, and I love her so much," he explained.

"I know, man. But she loves you, and I'm sure if you two talk, everything will be okay," he replied.

"I hope so. I need her, Paul. She's the only woman I want to be with. I want to stay together. I don't want to get divorced," he said. "I just…I can't lose her. I lost her once before, and I can't handle ever losing her again. The last time was just awful," he told him, thinking about what had happened the last time they broke up.

* * *

**_*Flashback*_**

**_Stu had really been suffering terribly. Since he and Jamie had broken up three and a half months ago, everything was just completely awful. He missed her. He needed her. Besides herself, he missed the little things-the way she smiled when she woke up next to him and their eyes met, the way her body fit perfectly against his, even the way she smelled. All of it just made him feel complete, and he need that in his life again._**

**_Without her, he no longer felt like himself._**

**_That's why he decided that he needed to fix things with Jamie. Stu was en route to her apartment. He couldn't deal with the misery anymore. Not being with her didn't feel right. And he had no choice but to fix things with the woman he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with._**

**_He parked his car in the lot when he arrived at her apartment building, and he quickly got out of the car, walking inside the building, feeling his heart beat faster the closer he got to seeing her again. Stu made his way over to the elevator and pushed the up button. He impatiently tapped his foot, waiting for the doors to open with his arms crossed over his chest. He felt as if his heart would beat out of his chest. He was happy to be finally seeing Jamie. He was even happier that there was a really good chance she would be his within a few short minutes. This was going to be the best day of his life._**

**_As soon as they did, he stepped inside. He pressed the number nine button, for Jamie's floor. The doors closed almost immediately, and it felt like he was waiting another hour to arrive at his destination, but it was less than a minute, in real time._**

**_Stu dashed down the hall and stood in front of apartment 9C, which was Jamie's apartment. He took a deep breath, before he lifted his fist and knocked on the surface of the door._**

**_A few moments later, the door opened. It wasn't Jamie, though. There was a guy standing there. Stu didn't recognize him. He was immediately confused and feeling as if he was slapped across the face. But he quickly decided to not make accusations. Jamie loved him. She wouldn't be with someone new already._**

**_"Can I help you?" the stranger asked._**

**_"Um…yes…um…is uh…is Jamie here?" he asked, feeling the knot in his stomach tighten. He was praying that she didn't have a boyfriend. That would kill him. Maybe this was just a friend or something._**

**_"I'm sorry. She's moved out. I sublet the place," he replied._**

**_"Oh? Um…do you know where she moved?" he questioned, relieved that she wasn't dating this guy. "I really need to talk to her."_**

**_"She moved back to America. She had said something about not being able to handle a break up, so she transferred to a school somewhere in New York, I think," the stranger explained to him._**

**_That's when his world stopped. He prayed that he had just heard incorrectly. "What? Are you serious?" he asked, finding it hard to speak, as it felt like the wind was just knocked out of him. He felt himself get light headed._**

**_The guy nodded. "Yeah. She seemed really upset about it. It was as if she was depressed or something. Wait a minute, are you the bloke she was talking about?" he questioned, curiously._**

**_Stu nodded. "I love her…" he spoke, his heart breaking all over again. "I came here to…to…fix things."_**

**_"Oh. I'm sorry, chap."_**

**_"Um…thank you," he dryly said, giving the man a nod, before walking off, though he couldn't feel his legs moving._**

**_Stu couldn't believe this was really happening. She was gone. Jamie left the country. He was in complete shock. It was one thing to have to deal with what he believed was nothing more than a temporary break up. It was a whole other situation to have her actually gone, thousands of miles away from him, an ocean between them. Now, he had to actually start trying to get over her, and he knew that was something he wouldn't ever be able to do, no matter how hard he tried._**

**_*End Flashback*_**

* * *

Stu remembered that day as the worst in his life. That's when he truly believed he had lost the love of his life. He went home that day and cried. He had never felt pain like that before…until he received those divorce papers. It hurt him so badly. He was so afraid to lose her. Stu couldn't bear to live without Jamie. He was so scared that he was about to find himself miserable and alone.

"Dude, come on," Paul encouraged.

Stu had only just realized that they were parked in Paul and Camille's driveway. His heart began racing. He was so scared of seeing her. What if she didn't want to see him? What is she had no interest in fixing what was left of their marriage? The next few minutes or hours would be determining his future with or without his wife. It was causing him to feel nauseous, and he couldn't handle how afraid he was to lose this woman.

Stu slowly unbuckled his seat belt and opened the door. He stepped onto the ground and shut the door behind himself. He followed Paul to the front door of the house. His friend unlocked the door, and the two men went inside the house. He was excruciatingly nervous and scared.

"Come on, I'll show you where she'd been staying," he said and led Stu up the stairs to where she was.

Jamie was laying in bed. She felt completely awful. She was devastated over the events of the past months or so. She was afraid of not being married to Stu anymore. Her heart ached at the mere thought of her marriage being over, especially everything that they'd been through.

She didn't want to do anything. She didn't know how she would handle going back to school to teach at the end of August. It was July already, and she was unsure of how that would work out…or if it would work out. Jamie's life had been completely turned upside down, and she was at a complete loss as to what she should do. Things had always been complicated, but she didn't know if she was making things worse or fixing things in the best way for herself. She knew what happened the last time they broke up, and Jamie knew she had suffered the first time around. She didn't know how it would work out this time. She didn't know how she was going to get through this.

* * *

_***Flashback***_

_**Stu laid in his bed in the apartment he'd been renting since he graduated from the University of Liverpool. He was exhausted after the evening's activities. It had been a very long week. His days were spent as a marine biologist, working in a laboratory setting. His nights were spent earning extra money as a bare knuckle boxer. He was purposely burning the candle at both ends, putting his all into both of his jobs. Free time was something he didn't want to have any of. He avoided nights like this.**_

_**Stu couldn't sleep. Whenever he had free time to think, he had only one thought on his mind.**_

_**Jamie.**_

_**She was the reason he had been working so hard. He couldn't bear to deal with his feelings. The past year they had been broken up had been absolutely terrible. He had graduated with his degree in Marine Biology. He got himself a stable job in his field of expertise. He was making a lot of money between his newfound career and his side job as a bare knuckle boxer. Most nights he would barely even make it into his bed before he was passed out like a light.**_

_**This was not one of those nights.**_

_**This was one of those nights where sleep wasn't going to come to him. And all he could do was think about Jamie. He was still crushed over what happened with her. He felt like a zombie. He was just going through the motions of living at this point. Without her, he was lost. Stu still couldn't believe she had felt that moving back to America was necessary. He wished that she had at least gone to see him before she left. He would have gotten her back had he been given the opportunity to make things better. And now, he couldn't handle his fate. It was tearing him apart.**_

_**Stu only had one hope and that was that Jamie was happy. He was hurting, but if she was happy, then, he would deal with his own misery. She was still his main concern.. And Stu could only want her to be happy and successful in her life.**_

* * *

_**Jamie was trying so hard to be happy, but she was failing miserably. She was heartbroken and missing Stu more than she thought she would, being so far away from him. She had a really difficult time dealing with the break up, even a year later. She just couldn't seem to get over him.**_

_**She'd been doing her school work and was fully focused on her education. She was working hard on her English and Education degrees in New York University, in New York City. She'd been spending as much time as she could on her work, not wanting to have free time because her thoughts were always finding their way to Stu.**_

_**She couldn't believe she had left England to avoid having to hope that he would come back to her. Maybe if she had stuck around, they could have worked on their relationship. She didn't care where she was physically located. Jamie just wanted nothing more than to be with Stu.**_

_**But they were over, and she had no choice but to try and move on. Though she was failing terribly because she only wanted to be with him.**_

_**Things were just not working without him in her life, but she had to learn to move on from the love of her life.**_

_***End Flashback***_

Stu was standing in front of the door to Jamie's room. He was reluctant to knock. He didn't know how this situation was going to pan out, and if it didn't go well, he honestly didn't know what he would do.

Finally, he shut his eyes and knocked on the door.

* * *

**A/N: Fun fun. Who knows what's gonna happen? I'm working on update for all of my stories. Please make sure you've voted in my poll. This way I know what story you guys want me to write :o) The poll closes Feb. 2. There will be a new one. Please let me know how you feel about this chapter. I love hearing from all of you! Love you guys! XoXoXoXoXo**


	6. Chapter 5

**How Far We've Come**

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I own Jamie and Camille :o)**

* * *

**_*Flashback*_**

**_Jamie had a Bachelor's Degree. Two, actually. One in English and one in Education. Her family and friends were proud of her accomplishment. Hell, she knew that she should have been proud of herself, but everything she did seemed to just remind her of Stu. And that was killing her. She needed to do something._**

**_"Please don't tell me you're serious about this," Jamie's mother, Donna, begged her only daughter._**

**_She slowly nodded. "I'm leaving next week," she explained. "I already took the certification exams when I went down there for that whole vacation thing a couple of months ago, and I already have a job lined up in a high school."_**

**_"I can't believe this. I just got you back almost two years ago after your whole 'I need to go to school in Europe' kick, and now I'm losing you again. You can stay here. Your father and I will pay for anything that you need while you're looking for a job," she offered, practically begging her._**

**_Jamie forced a smile. "Mom, that's a really generous offer, but I can't accept that. Besides, it's not like I'm gonna be in another country, this time. It's just Florida," she tried to explain._**

**_"But you're my baby. I don't want you to leave again," she tearfully told her._**

**_"We can visit each other. This is just a really good opportunity for me," Jamie tried to make her mother understand._**

**_She slowly nodded. "I feel like you're leaving because of the whole thing that went on with Stu," Donna admitted._**

**_Jamie's eyes immediately darted to her mother's. "What does this have to do with him?" she sharply asked._**

**_"I know you're still upset over him."_**

**_"He's in England. How the hell would me moving to Florida have anything at all to do with him?" Jamie asked, her voice hostile._**

**_"It seems like you're trying to escape everything. I'm not trying to upset you, sweetheart."_**

**_Jamie rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Listen, first of all, you don't know Stu at all. Secondly, I'm over him. It wouldn't matter if I wasn't anyway because he's not here," she spoke. She wasn't intending on being a complete bitch to her mother, but Jamie just couldn't handle thinking about Stu anymore, much less talking about him. And it was just too much for her to handle._**

**_"Jamie," she softly spoke. "Sweetheart, it does matter. It matters a lot. I don't like seeing you like this."_**

**_She shut her eyes tightly, feeling the sensation of tears overcoming her, as one finally slipped out of her eye and down her cheek. "I'm not over him, mom," she finally admitted._**

**_"I know, hunnie," Donna said, pulling her daughter in her arms._**

**_"It's supposed to get easier. We were together for one year. We broke up over two years ago, and I can't even talk about him without crying about it. It hurts to just think about him."_**

**_"Because you really love him."_**

**_Jamie nodded. "And maybe there's a part of me that wants to go to Florida to start over again. Maybe I'll be able to let go of him."_**

**_Donna nodded. "I understand, baby," she said._**

**_*End Flashback*_**

* * *

Jamie heard the soft knock on her bedroom door. She figured it was either Camille or Paul, seeing as they were the only two living in the house. She got up and slowly opened the door.

Upon recognizing her visitor, her breath got caught in her chest. This was completely unexpected. She stood there, in shock, staring at her estranged husband in front of her. She couldn't move or speak. Her head kept telling her to do something, but her body wouldn't cooperate.

* * *

**_*Flashback*_**

**_Stu had a bit of a career change and had spent the past year training hard to be a professional wrestler. He had begun working with NWA Hammerlock Wrestling in Great Britain. He was, financially, a success, as he had still been working as a Marine Biologist for over two years already. Between both jobs, he found solace in his work. One was mentally demanding, the other physically demanding. Emotionally, he was completely drained, as he still hadn't gotten over Jamie and missed her more than he thought he would. In fact, it was getting worse because if three years apart didn't mean he was over her, then, he was just about positive that he would never get over her._**

**_That was a hard pill for Stu to swallow._**

**_Every single day he woke up just meant that it was another day he had to live without Jamie. It was the hardest thing for him to try accepting. He didn't want to live without her but didn't have much of a choice._**

**_Stu was doing incredibly well professionally. His family was proud of him. His friends were proud. But none of that meant much to him. He wanted Jamie to be proud of what he had accomplished. He wanted her by his side. After a successful match, all he truly wanted to do was hug the love of his life, but that was clearly not a possibility._**

**_"Stu, you alright, mate?" Doug asked. He was a friend that Stu had made while working in the wrestling promotion._**

**_"Me? I'm fine," he replied, his tone and expression not backing up his words._**

**_"You're up," he said._**

**_"Oh. Thanks." Stu stood up and walked towards the entrance of the ramp. He waited to hear the name 'Stu Sanders' to be announced, so he could make his way to the ring, for his match._**

**_*End Flashback*_**

* * *

Stu's eyes were fixed on the woman he was still legally married to She looked absolutely heartbroken and miserable. That hurt him more than knowing he was about to lose her. All he had ever wanted was for Jamie to be happy.

"Jamie," he finally spoke, after the two had stood there, just looking at each other for a good five or so minutes, as millions of thoughts ran through the both of their heads.

"What are you doing here?" she finally asked, the volume of her voice low. He had to struggle to hear her.

"I had to see you…and talk to you," he said.

"This is a really bad idea."

She was obviously struggling to not cry. "Stu, please don't do this right now," she begged him.

"Do you not love me anymore?" he asked her.

"That's not what this is about."

"Well, do you love me? Or not?" he repeated his question.

"I love you. You know that."

"Then, why are we not together?"

"Because it's too hard. I'm always alone. You're never around. I spend all of my time wishing that I could see my husband," she explained.

"I'll quit. I'll go back to being a Marine Biologist," he immediately offered, being sincere about it.

"No. You love what you do, and I would never take that away from you," she rejected his offer.

"You don't understand, if I'm not with you, then, nothing else matters. I've told you that a million and one times," he insisted, his body tensing.

The tears began falling down her cheeks. "Stu, this just isn't working out for me," she spoke.

"Don't do this. I can't lose you again. I promise you when we got back together that I would never lose you ever again, and I will not break that promise," Stu insisted, feeling his chest tighten, as he felt tears building up behind his eyes.

"You don't understand. I love you so much, but it doesn't feel like we're married anymore."

Stu cupped her face in his hands. "I'll quit, Jamie. There's no point in me doing anything without you by my side. If we're not together, then, nothing in the world matters to me. I love you, and I want to spend my life with you. That's why we got married," he spoke, his voice cracking.

"I need time to figure out what to do," she whispered.

"Don't leave me, Jamie. I'm begging you," he pleaded with her. "The last time we broke up we spent what? Six years apart? And how did that fare us? We were bloody depressed the whole time. And it doesn't look like this time is any different."

"Stu…"

"Come on, Jame. You know that we belong together," he told her. "We love each other. We've always loved each other, and we always will. Don't go. Please, we can make our marriage work."

"I dunno," she replied, feeling like she was near collapsing in a pool of tears. Every part of her ached. "Don't think this is easy for me."

"I know it's not sweetheart. But we can fix this. We can make things better if we have each other," he pointed out.

Jamie's body finally collapsed against Stu's. He immediately caught her in his arms, as her crying became more hysterical. It broke Stu's heart to be doing this to her. He easily lifted her up in his arms and brought her into the room, softly closing the door with his foot. Stu gently placed his wife on the bed and sat down next to her. He leaned his upper body over hers, his left arm resting on the opposite side of her head. He used his right hand to wipe the tears from her face.

"Darling, please don't cry. You know I can't handle it when you cry," he begged her, feeling his own emotions build up.

"I'm sorry. I just…I don't know what to do," she explained.

"We can figure it out. If you need time, then, I'll give you time. I'll give you whatever you want."

"I don't know right now."

Stu's tears finally made their way out of his eyes. "Okay," he finally relented, sitting up. Jamie noticed his tears and sat up. She climbed on top of him, straddling his lap. She used the pads of her thumbs to wipe his tears away.

"Things are just hard right now."

He nodded. "I understand that." She wrapped her arms around him, hugging Stu against her body. His own arms found their way around her waist.

"Just give me some time, okay?"

"Okay. And you know I love you, right?"

She nodded. "I know." Jamie slowly climbed off of him. Stu pressed a gentle, affectionate kiss to her forehead.

"You know where I'll be." With those words, Stu got up and left the room, shutting the door behind himself.

* * *

**A/N: Yay the next chapter! Woot Woot! Tomorrow is the big day! New poll! To be fair, tonight's really the big night because in less than an hour, I will be at the Smackdown taping! Yayyy! So, anyways, hope you all enjoy! Out of curiousity, I know my Carissa likes what I'm doing with this, but how is everyone liking the flashbacks giving their back story? Their story gets really good, too, and I like knowing where they've come from and where they are now (Get it "How Far We've Come"! Makes sense now lol besides, it's a good song by Matchbox Twenty), interwoven, so I was just wondering what all of my lovely readers thought about it. Alrighty, love you all! XoXoXoXoXo**


	7. Chapter 6

**How Far We've Come**

**Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer: I own Camille and Jamie.**

* * *

_***Flashback***_

_**Jamie had been living in Florida for about a year already, and to be completely honest, she was really enjoying her life there. She had no reminders of her former relationship with Stu there. It wasn't keeping her thoughts of him at bay, but it was easier to not have the reminders of him everywhere that she went. She still struggled with her feelings for him on a daily basis, though. Jamie really wanted nothing more than to be over him already, but that clearly wasn't happening for her any time soon. She knew moving on from him would be hard, but this was just insane.**_

_**On the bright side, Jamie had created a whole new life for herself. She had a great job that she really loved, some great friends, her own condominium in Tampa. Things were looking really great for her on paper. Hell, on the outside, Jamie nearly had the perfect life already. The only thing she was missing in her life was Stu. Unfortunately for her, that was the most important piece of the puzzle.**_

_**When Jamie had begun teaching English to the students in Vivian Gaither High School, she quickly became friends with her fellow English teacher, Camille Lombardi. The two women really bonded and became close quite quickly. Camille knew all about Jamie's ex-boyfriend Stu. She saw how hard her friend had tried to be happy. It just wasn't really working out for her. She was missing the one person she truly needed.**_

_**Camille was constantly setting Jamie up on dates with potential boyfriend. It took a while for her to finally agree to go, but once she did, she found herself comparing everyone to none other than Stu.**_

_**That was why it never went very far. No one was as good as the mean she was missing, and Jamie was nearly positive that wouldn't ever change. It was starting to dawn on her that if she didn't stop doing that, she would probably end up alone for the rest of her life. And that thought hurt her.**_

_***End Flashback***_

* * *

"Man, what happened in there?" Paul asked, as Stu sat on the couch, looking completely miserable.

"She wants time," he replied.

"And what did you say?" he replied.

"I said 'okay'. What was I supposed to say? No? It's not like that would really help my situation," he rhetorically asked.

"Okay. I know she's your wife, but I might have to go ahead and hit her. Jamie's completely miserable without you. Everybody knows it. I really need to knock some sense into her."

Camille walked into the living room. "Stu. I thought I heard your voice," she said, walking over and giving him a hug.

"Hey Cami," he greeted, his voice void of any emotion.

"How are you?" she asked.

"Miserable. Terrible. Awful," he listed his feelings, honestly.

"Go talk to Jamie. Maybe you two can fix things. Then, neither one of you will have to be so down."

"Tried that," Paul interjected.

"And it didn't work?" she asked, shocked.

"Nope," Stu replied, his eyes staring down at the floor. "I'm pretty sure I've lost her for good…and if I do end up losing her, I don't…I mean, I wouldn't even know what to do with myself," he explained. "I need her."

Camille frowned. "Maybe I should talk to her," she suggested.

Stu shrugged. "Jamie isn't easily swayed. If she doesn't want to be with me, I can't force her to."

"But that's just it, Stu. She does want to be with you. The woman is absolutely crazy in love with you," she confidently told him, knowing that truer words were never spoken. "And trust me, you didn't see her when you two had been broken up, when we first met. She was a wreck," Camille pointed out.

"Well, if she wants time, like she said she does, I have to give it to her. I just love her so bloody much," he spoke, his voice giving away how devastated her truly was over this entire situation.

"Listen, Stu, I'm sure things will start looking up soon enough. You two are soul mates. You'll always end up back together," she said, sitting next to him and wrapping an arm around his shoulders, trying to be comforting, though she knew that without Jamie, nothing she could do would help him.

"I hope so," he solemnly spoke.

"She'll come around, Stu," Paul insisted.

* * *

Jamie remained in bed, the freshly cried tears soaking her black pillowcase. The tears continued to pour out of her eyes. Seeing Stu again just killed her. It was all getting to be too much for her to handle. He looked so distraught and that made everything so much harder for her. When it came to Stu, she could never really hold it together, when it came to her emotions. This time was no exception. She had invested her heart in him all those years ago and wasn't ready to completely take it back.

Hell, Jamie was nearly positive that she could never get her heart back from him. In a way, she knew she was destined to always love Stu. She could never get rid of him.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in," she weakly called, her voice still distorted by her misery.

The door slowly opened, and Paul walked inside, quietly shutting the door behind himself. He walked over to her and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Jame, come here," he said, softly, feeling badly for his friend. She sat up, and Paul pulled her into his arms, on his lap. "I came in here to yell at you about what's been going on, but I can't look at you crying and not feel upset myself," he explained. "There's no reason for this, Jame," he whispered, gently rubbing her back.

"I just don't know what to do," she sobbed. "Our relationship is so hard. He's always gone, and I can't deal with it anymore."

"But do you remember how terrible you felt the last time the two of you had broken up?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"And you think missing him permanently is going to change? Or would you rather miss him for a little while, and them, you can get to be with him for a little while?" he asked her, trying to make his point clear.

"I don't know…"

"Come on, Jamie. He's your husband, and the guy loves you more than he loves anyone or anything in the entire world," Paul told her. "I mean, he's willing to quit wrestling to be with you."

Jamie buried her face in his chest and continued to cry. "I just don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore," she cried.

"I know, sweetie. It's hard. It's really fucking hard. I'm not even gonna lie to you, it's gonna be this way for a long time, but if you really do love him, and if he really loves you, then, there's no reason for the two of you to be so miserable without each other," Paul tried reasoning with her.

"It's just hard to adjust to, Paul. I don't know what I'm supposed to do about my feelings anymore."

"You need to talk to him. I mean, you really need to sit down and have a long, serious talk with him."

"I can't handle seeing him."

"He's your husband."

"I know."

* * *

_***Flashback***_

_**"So, how are things going with Evan?" Camille asked with a smile.**_

_**"Really good. He's such a great guy," Jamie replied.**_

_**"I'm so happy that the two of you worked out so well," she said.**_

_**"Yeah." Jamie couldn't lie about it. She was really happy that Camille had set her up with Evan. She had been with him for the past five months, and things between them were going really well.**_

_**But that didn't really matter in the long run. Stu was still on her mind. They'd been broken up for over four years, but for some strange reason, Jamie couldn't seem to let him go. Stu was still the man she was completely in love with, and she was beginning to understand that she would never be able to let go of him. This was something she was just going to have to learn to live with.**_

_**"He's really cute, right?" Camille asked.**_

_**"He is, and he's a real sweetheart," Jamie agreed. "He's a really awesome guy. Thanks for setting us up."**_

_**Camille smiled. "Of course. I'm just really happy that the two of you are working out so well."**_

_**Jamie forced a smile on her face. She had become so used to forcing fake happiness on herself that it had become seemingly genuine. "Me, too," she convincingly replied. It wasn't that she didn't like Evan. To be quite honest, she really did like him. It just wasn't the same as it was when she was with Stu.**_

_**Jamie could see herself loving Evan in the future. It just didn't feel the way it was supposed to feel, and that was the downside. But it was okay. She knew that she would continue learning how to live without him, and she would learn to let someone else in…even if it wasn't the same as it had been. At least she wouldn't have to live the rest of her life all alone anymore.**_

_**"I'm happy that you're finally acting like a normal person. When we first met, I thought that you were really quiet and unhappy," Camille said, smiling at her friend. She knew that Jamie wasn't 100%, but she was willing to take her victories where she could manage to get them.**_

_**"Aw. It was really hard for me at first, but I'm finally getting used to missing…him," she said with a nod.**_

_**"Well, look at the bright side, at least you've finally got someone else who can take your mind off of him now."**_

_**"Yeah. That definitely helps," she pretended to agree, even though she didn't mean the words.**_

_***End Flashback***_

* * *

That night, Jamie was laying in her bed. She couldn't stop thinking about her husband and how much she really missed him. When she and Stu did have time together, during their relationship, they used to spend so much of it cuddling and talking. That was her favorite thing to do. She felt so loved and special when she was with him. One thing that could always be counted on with Stu was that he could make her forget about all of her problems. The entire world didn't exist when they were together.

If she could be anywhere in the world right now, Jamie would want to be with Stu. She loved the way he'd play with her hair and press sweet, little kisses to the top of her head. She would run her hands across his torso. She'd never felt so content and safe in her entire life. She needed that, and she needed him right now.

Jamie closed her eyes as the tears began falling out of them again. It was as if that was all she did anymore. Her heart ached. She felt empty and alone without the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Jamie softly sobbed into her pillow, as her hands gripped the cotton pillowcase.

"What am I gonna do?" she thought aloud. She felt as if her world was falling out from underneath her.

Maybe everyone was right about the situation. Maybe it really was about time Jamie spoke to Stu about how she was feeling about everything that had been going on. She couldn't do this anymore. It absolutely killed her to miss her husband this much. It destroyed her to think she had already begun trying to end her marriage, when she knew she really was supposed to be with Stu.

No one could ever truly love her the way that he could. Nothing ever felt so right, as when she was with him. Stu was her soul mate. She was not meant to be with him. And it was about time that she start trying to work out their problems, as opposed to just walking away from them.

* * *

**A/N: Yay for new chapter! So much drama. I totally love it lol Let me know what you guys think :o) If I know everyone's enjoying it, it tends to make me want to update more lol Also, please vote in my poll! You guys can choose the which stories I write. Power to the people! lol Thanks to everyone who has been reading, alerting, favorite, reviewing. I love you all :o) Thanks! XoXoXoXoXoXo**


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